Drew Guggeis
Ms. Bennett
WLH 1
Getting Help from the Little Guy: Elephants in Need
In Africa, the elephant is a symbol of power and beauty. But the elephant may soon become a tale of the past like the dinosaurs. As the population declines, severity rises. the elephants represent an important piece to the ecosystem and food chain, and if the world continues on the path it is going, that chain may suffer. While the poaching is an upsetting topic, many people from Africa and around the world are aiding to fight for the gentle giant. From ivory banning to local donations and protection services, great strides are being taken to protect the elephants.
Politicians from around the world are intervening to help the cause. It is well known that China holds the largest ivory market in the world, with value in the expensive ivory carvings and figures that can be made out of an elephant tusk. However, in a grand effort to aid the elephants and Africa, China announced that it will close the ivory market by the end of 2017 (Africa). This will surely pare down the amount of poachers and ivory traders threatening the population. This gesture, especially coming from China, shows great promise for the future of elephants and the environment as a whole. Not only China, but also those of the EU are partaking in the effort to end the poaching. The EU recently had a convention and discussed whether to also shut down their domestic trade markets and began a petition to do so which gain over 100,000 signatures (Kairu). An astonishing amount in such a short time shows the impact that the elephants and their poaching holds in the people in Africa, and the world. While many outside of Africa are aiding in stopping the trade of elephant tusks, a tougher fight is taking place in the land of the issue.
Local groups are also taking on the task of protecting the elephants from poaching as well. In a major national park in Gabon there is a large population of elephants whose population has dwindled by 80% . This study took place at Duke University and was led by John Poulsen who said, “the loss of 25,000 elephants from this key sanctuary is a considerable setback for the preservation of the species,” (Bennett). In an effort to slow this reduction, the Gabonese government has elevated the status of the elephants to fully protected. This means that they will protect the elephants even more from the poachers which will hopefully save the population. This is a significant step to the protection and to the future of the African elephants and the African environment. Similarly, in Rwanda, the government is using revenue from tourism to fund national parks in the hopes that they will use it to protect their animal including elephants (Mullen). This is a very generous donation considering the other profitable possibilities for that income stream. With more and more contributions arising, the fate of the elephants are looking up.
Although elephants are enormous creatures, every once in awhile they may need assistance from someone smaller than their own leg. The elephant population has been declining for decades, but people are taking action to try to save the beautiful elephant. Even though many ivory are extremely intricate and extravagant, they may no longer be circulating the market. Some would even argue that ivory looks even more beautiful attached to elephants.
Dayu Zhang, Jethro Mullen. “Booming Illegal Ivory Trade Taking Severe Toll on Africa's Elephants, Groups Say.” "CNN", CNN, June 2012, www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/world/africa/africa-ivory-elephant-slaughter/index.html. Accessed Mar. 2017.
Bennett, Abbie. “Duke Study: Poaching Drives 80 Percent Decline in Elephants at Central African Preserve.” "Newsobserver", Newsobserver, 2017, www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article134572679.html. Accessed Mar. 2017.
Kairu, Pauline. “Africa: Pressure Shifts to EU Over Ivory Trade.” "AllAfrica.com", AllAfrica.com, July 2017, allafrica.com/stories/201702100212.html. Accessed Mar. 2017.
Anonymous. “Africa Lauds China's Move to Close Ivory Market.” "Xinhuanet.com", Xinhuanet.com, 2017, news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-01/14/c_135980968.htm. Accessed July 2017.
I really liked your conclusion, and I definitely feel like I learned about what different governments and people around the world are doing to help save the dwindling elephant population in South Africa. What can I do, as an individual, to help this cause?
ReplyDeleteI loved how you wrote with passion for the elephants. I had no idea that countries were taking such aggressive measures to protect the species. How can people living here in the US help this noble cause?
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you incorporated humor into the article so it sounded interesting but also conveyed the message in an effective way. It was interesting to learn about the efforts that have already been taken. Do you think a solution will actually be found to properly help the elephants?
ReplyDeleteI really liked your intro, it definitely explained your topic to me. I learned that countries are taking measures to save elephants from poaching. What measures can we take in the US to help prevent poaching?
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed your hook very much, it seems as though you really cared about this topic. What can other countries do to save the elephants?
ReplyDeleteYour first main point paragraph was very well written. You had a really good balance between facts and your own words. Additionally I found it really cool that you included how actions internationally affect Africa's ivory trade.
ReplyDeleteI thought your hook and title were really well executed and it seemed like you really cared what you were writing about. My main take away was that the ivory trade is highly affecting the population of elephants in Africa. Is there any form of foreign aid that could assist with the elephants?
ReplyDelete